


Junior Mathlete

by delicatelyglitterywriter



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Jemma Lance Siblingship, Multi, OC - Grant Mathew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-30 04:04:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8517817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicatelyglitterywriter/pseuds/delicatelyglitterywriter
Summary: Jemma's a genius. She competes in annual Mathlete competition in her school. Her big brother, Lance is incredibly proud of her. Also, she may have the teeniest crush on Grant Mathew, the smartest boy in the year level.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostgirl966](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostgirl966/gifts), [ughfitz (wokemeup)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wokemeup/gifts), [agentcalliope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentcalliope/gifts), [agentlemons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentlemons/gifts).



 

Jemma was jittery. Even though she _knew_  she was superior to her opponents (after all, who could _really_  compete with a 163 IQ score?), these contests _always_  made her nervous.

She fiddled with the hem of her dress, doing her best not to start bouncing on the balls of her feet. The auditorium was at approximately 87 decibels, indicating a full hall, meaning that Jemma had approximately 193 seconds before the principal got up on the stage to announce the start of the competition. 

Running the numbers in her head _should_  have made her feel better, but it instead only made her feel more nervous. She hung her head and sighed, before counting prime numbers in ascending order. She jumped when she heard someone shout.

“Jemma!” She turned and saw her brother pushing through the crowd to get to her. She couldn’t help but smile a bit, especially when Mrs Mudie scowled and shushed him. 

“Hey, Lance,” she greeted quietly when he reached her. 

“Ready?” Jemma shook her head, and he sighed sympathetically. “Listen, Jems, you’re going to be _great_  out there. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“I know, but-”

“No buts,” he interrupted, quirking his eyebrow up in the most authoritative way a fifteen-year-old could. “You _will_  do great. I _know_ you will.” 

Jemma smiled again, feeling a bit better. He was always so good at making her feel better. 

“Thanks, Lance.”

“Anything for my baby sister.” His stupid teasing grin was back on his face, earning him a punch from Jemma.

“Hey! I’m _only_  one year and two weeks younger!”

“Still makes you a baby,” he teased, before becoming serious again. “Go make me proud, Jems.”

She nodded, and watched him slide back through the crowd. She swallowed hard when the auditorium quieted and Mrs McKay got up to speak. Mrs Mudie waved a hand, indicating for them to come. Jemma took a deep breath. 

It was time. 

* * *

 

 

* * *

 

Jemma twirled the pen in her hand, anxiously awaiting the first question. Why did Mrs McKay have to speak so slowly? 

 _Enough with the introductions already!_  Jemma yelled at her in her head. _Just let us start!_

She glanced at her first opponent, leaned back in his chair, looking as cool as a cucumber. Joel Peterson was his name. He was part of the “cool boys” group. As far as Jemma was concerned, they could all follow each other off a cliff - they were loud and rowdy and the most disrespectful people she’d ever met. _And_  they didn’t take school seriously, the ungrateful mongrels. 

They had probably signed up a few of their “gang”, just for laughs. It was silly and immature, Jemma opined. Competitions like these should be taken _very_  seriously. After all, they were the pride of all the smart cookies, and making a joke out of them was bullying. The very concept of the boys doing this made her blood boil.

“Alright, contestants, first question.” Mrs McKay’s voice snapped her out of her daydream. “The category is algebra.”

 _Good,_  Jemma thought. _I’m good at algebra. This will be a cinch._

The question appeared on the screen behind the principal as she spoke it. 

“Twice a number is subtracted from six and gives us ten. What is the number?”

Jemma’s tongue stuck partway out her mouth in concentration as she scribbled out her calculations on the paper. Just as she found the answer, Joel called out his.

“Answer’s four, miss.” Jemma blinked in surprise. How had he managed to find an answer before her? Even though it _was_  incorrect, theoretically, she should have been able to solve it before him.

“That is incorrect, Mr Peterson,” she turned to Jemma, “Miss Simmons? Do you have an answer for us?”

“Yes. The answer is negative two.”

“Very good! Mr Peterson is out, Miss Hunter-Simmons advances to the next round.”

From the audience, she heard her brother let out a cheer. She smiled and ducked her head, feeling the slightest tinge of embarrassment; Lance could be way too over enthusiastic at times. 

* * *

 

The next few rounds went by smoothly, with Jemma easily winning each round. Aside from a few questions that threw her off a bit (including one about ages; she really did _not_  like those questions), it was a walk through the park.

She now sat opposite Grant Mathew, the smartest boy in their grade. Jemma bit back a smile as they narrowed their eyes competitively at each other. She quite liked Grant, in that, even though he was smart, he didn’t brag about it, and most _certainly_  did not put others down because of it. Instead, he used his brains to help others, and as he did so, encouraged them to keep going. 

He was gentle and kind and always tried to be respectful of everyone. He also especially looked out for Jemma (”us smarty pants gotta stick together, right?” he’d said to her once). He was funny and generous and Jemma thought of him as the nicest person she’d ever met (well, after Lance of course, but he was her brother, so he didn’t count. 

“Miss Hunter-Simmons, Mr Mathew,” Mrs McKay said. “Whoever wins this, wins the competition.”

“Go Jemma!” Lance called out from the audience and she exhaled. Could he not be quiet for just once? Clearly not.

“The category is algebra, again. Contestants, ready.”

Both Jemma and Grant picked up their pens, ready to start. The question popped up on the screen, causing Jemma’s eyes to widen momentarily. That was a year-10-level question! She put her head down and started working it as Mrs McKay read it out.

“Two towns are two hundred and forty kilometres apart. A car and a bus start travelling towards each other from the towns. If they pass each other one and a half hours after they started their respective journeys, find the speed of each. Note that the car travels ten kilometres faster than the bus.”

The whole auditorium fell into silence as the two attempted to work it out. Jemma chewed on her bottom lip, pausing a few times to make sure she was headed in the right direction. About two minutes passed before Jemma produced an answer, calling it out just as Grant opened his mouth to say his.

“The bus is going 75 kilometres an hour and the car is going 85!”

“That is correct, Miss Hunter-Simmons! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of this year’s Junior Mathlete Competition: Jemma Hunter-Simmons!”

Jemma saw Lance jump up and start cheering at the top of his lungs. It really was quite embarrassing to know how proud of her he was. Still, her ginormous smile convinced her to just let it go. She stood up and accepted the award from Mrs McKay and held it up to let people take photos. 

She then turned and shook Grant’s hand as a sign of good sportsmanship. They smiled at each other and Grant took a couple of steps back to let people take some more photos. 

27.3 seconds later, the applause had died down and Jemma sighed happily, letting her shoulders sag as the pressure of the competition rolled off her shoulders. She was about to go and find her family when Grant’s teasing voice stopped her.

“Dammit, Jemma, _I_  was supposed to win!” Jemma turned to face him, mimicking the playful smile on his face.

"Well, you should have worked faster, then.” 

“But I’m just a bus going 75,” he teased, poking her in the ribs, causing her to squirm. “I can’t _possibly_  compete against this speed machine going at 85.”

She giggled at his joke. 

“Sadly, that’s not my problem. You just probably need to get that engine checked.” She tapped his head. He chuckled at her joke and opened his mouth to reply, but Lance picking her up off the ground from behind forced it right back down.

“Jems! So proud of you!” he shouted joyfully, twirling her around. “My sister, the Junior Mathlete Champ!!”

“Lance! Put me down!” Jemma inwardly shouted every curse word she knew. He _always_  showed up at the worst of times. He laughed as he complied with her request. It was then that he saw Grant standing there, waiting patiently. 

“Grant,” Lance shook his hand, “nice to see you again.”

“Likewise, Lance.” Just then, Jemma’s parents appeared. Oh boy. 

“Jemma, we’re so proud of you!” they gushed, peppering her with kisses. Jemma tried not to cringe at how uncomfortable the situation was becoming. Luckily for her, Lance came to her rescue.

“Mum, dad, this is _Grant Mathew_ ,” he introduced, casting a mischevious look at Jemma. Her eyes went wide. He didn’t...did he? She squared her jaw when she saw the knowing look her parents exchanged. 

Oh god help her, she was going to _kill_  him. 

“Grant! Pleasure to meet you! Timothy Hu-”

“Hunter,” Grant finished, seeming unaffected by her father’s _very_  unsubtle introduction. “Jemma’s told me about it. Pleasure to meet you, Mr Hunter, Mrs Simmons.”

Jemma was eternally grateful that Grant, in addition to his kind heart, was incredibly charismatic. It made awkward situations like this far less awkward. 

“So, Jemma, I was thinking that we could maybe go get some celebratory ice-cream?” he wondered after greeting her parents, and then glanced back at them. “That is, if your parents are okay with it?”

“May I?” Jemma looked hopefully at her mum and dad, and her heart leapt for joy when they agreed to it.

“You deserve it. Go on, have fun.” Jemma tried not to smile too much as she took Grant’s outstretched out and left with him. They walked in silence until they reached the ice cream place, just enjoying each other’s company as well as the feel of the other’s hand in their own. 

When they go to the ice cream place and were waiting in line, Jemma pulled her hand free and turned to face him. 

“I’m sorry abou-”

“Hey, there’s nothing to apologise for,” he scolded softly. “Everyone’s parents are like that.”

Jemma giggled nervously (although it was the good kind of nervous) and ducked her head momentarily.

“Thanks, Grant.” He smiled down at her.

“Anything for you, Jemma.”


End file.
